SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego and Chula Vista announced a partnership Thursday to combat homelessness regionally, which will include construction of a new shelter in Chula Vista.
The Midway-area bridge shelter operated by Veterans Village of San Diego would be demolished with a replacement built in Chula Vista, pending approval by the Chula Vista City Council, which is expected to discuss the agreement at Tuesday's meeting.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the shelter was built on land offered by the U.S. Navy in 2017 under two conditions -- it would serve homeless veterans and be a temporary site.
"Nearly three years later, the time has come to find a new home for this shelter," Faulconer said.
Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas said, "the bridge shelter will position Chula Vista and the South County to better respond to public health emergencies like COVID-19 and to provide a better solution to protect our unsheltered and get them the critical services that they need."
City officials are working to identify funding to operate the proposed shelter, whose site has not been determined, Salas said.
Faulconer said the shelter served up to 200 people, but that figure could change based on Chula Vista's needs and capabilities.
Residents from all the city's bridge shelters have been relocated to the San Diego Convention Center during the coronavirus pandemic as part of the city's Operation Shelter to Home.
San Diego, Chula Vista to partner to replicate Bridge Shelter Program regionally
The City of San Diego will transfer its bridge shelter located in the Midway district to the City of Chula Vista to serve individuals experiencing homelessness.